Open Windows, Closed Doors
by snowspell
Summary: First Class: Tess wants to stand out, but even her mutant power makes her fade into the background. Shy and fearful, she must somehow find the courage to fight for herself and others like her that just want to belong.


**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are owned by whoever owns the x-men. I only make then dance for my sick amusement. :-)**

The bare floorboards creaked softly as she rocked back and forth, back and forth. _He can't find out. Please God, don't let him find out._ Tess heard the sound of the front door opening and closing and then the rumble of the family car driving away. The utter quiet of the house calmed her, allowing her to notice the cramps in her stomach. Hunger. Uncoiling herself from her tightly wound ball she slowly dropped through the floor to drop heavily onto the carpeted hall beneath her. Tess crept down the stairs to the kitchen and began hastily shoving food into a paper grocery bag to take up to the attic with her. Suddenly the lock on the front door clicked. It was so loud in the silence, it seemed to echo. Fear raced up Tess's spine, paralyzing her.

.oo00oo.

"In other news, police have called off the investigation into the disappearance of Tess Connolly from her family home in Greenwich, New York. Connolly disappeared one month ago while her parents were doing grocery shopping. The girl's parents stated that she is a shy girl and rarely left the house. However, recent investigations have uncovered that Connolly spent time in a mental institution when she was 14 due to delusional behavior. The police have ruled that Connolly is most likely a run away. Now to Tom, with the forecast for the next week."

Charles switched off the radio and turned his attention back to the chess game he was playing with Erik. He enjoyed the challenge that his friend offered. Erik had an aggressive strategy but often made unexpected moves that kept Charles guessing.

"You seem distracted," Charles commented as he neatly took Erik's bishop.

Erik leaned back in his seat and looked at his friend. "I was thinking that you have all of us test our limits but I don't see you doing so."

Charles mimicked his friend's stance and considered. It was true that he had been so focused on the others; he hadn't considered extending his own abilities. "What would you suggest?"

Erik slid his pawn forward with a thoughtful expression. He knew little of Charles' gift but then, Charles knew just as little about his own ability and he had been instrumental in helping him. "We've been concentrating on finding mutants using Cerebro. What about finding a human?"

"That's not much of a challenge."

Erik shrugged, "Find someone you've never met. That should add challenge to it. What about that missing girl from the news? She's probably close enough."

"Alright, agreed." Charles raised his hand to lay two fingers against his temple, calling forth his gift. He quickly widened his search away from the center they were in and out into greater New York. Erik was right, this was a difficult task. Although the range was easily within his abilities he found that he could not simply hone in on the right mind as he usually did. It was more like…trying to recognize a particular sculpture in a museum by touch alone. He could feel the general outline of each person but none of them quite felt like what he was looking for. Just as he was about to widen his search further he felt a slight flutter. Charles turned his attention to it and immediately recognized the mind of a mutant.

"Erik I found the girl."

"Congratulations Charles. Where is she?"

"In her home."

Erik scowled in confusion, "You must have the wrong one. The radio said she was a runaway."

"Yes, well they did have one thing right. She definitely disappeared. Come on, Erik. We need to get to Greenwich, the poor girl is scared to death."

Erik's scowl deepened as he lifted his lanky frame from the chair. "I didn't think we were hosting a human outreach program."

Charles turned a disapproving look on his friend, "That was unkind, Erik. But as it happens, she isn't a human. That's why she disappeared."

Nearly four hours later Erik and Charles were pulling up in front of an angular, stone and wood house in a suburban neighborhood. Charles turned a piercing look on the door and a few minutes later a couple in their mid-40s walked out and quickly left for some errand. "Ah," Charles murmured. Noticing his friend's curiosity he clarified, "That was Reverend and Mrs. Connolly. The Reverend is an end-times believer and sees deformities and mutations as a punishment by God on his less faithful children." Rage bubbled up in Erik at the familiar rhetoric of blind hatred. He ground his teeth in anger, struggling to control the consuming emotion. After a few minutes he was able to bury it inside himself.

The two friends stepped out of their car and strolled up to the door. Erik tried the handle but it was locked. A moment later the lock made an audible click and he pushed the door open. The house was like any other moderately well off dwelling. A large painting of fruit hung over a hall table. Both men padded across the shag carpet, passing through the living room. Charles nodded towards the kitchen and they both moved towards it. Erik felt his jaw sag open in surprise as he saw a grocery bag suspended in midair. Charles turned and addressed the floating bag, "Hello Tess." As if his words had broken some kind of spell the bag fell to the floor with a crashed, spilling its contents across the linoleum.

Charles took a step forward, lifting his hands palm up in a sign of friendship, "Tess, we are not here to harm you. Please believe me. We, like you, have special abilities that mark us as different from others. We only want to help you so that you can control your ability."

Erik's eyes narrowed, scanning the kitchen. He still was unable to see anyone but tracking down so many mutants had given him a keen understanding of the vagaries of the mutant genome. Ignoring what he saw, he concentrated on his other senses. He could hear Charles speaking in a low, soothing voice. But below that he could just make out a shuttered breathing, as if someone were near hyperventilating. Erik turned his attention to where the sound was coming from and noticed a scent on the air, perfume or shampoo. It was further proof that he and Charles were not the only ones in this room. "You're afraid of the others that live here, your family," Erik stated. It wasn't a question. "But you don't have to hide from us. We are like you." With that he raised his hand and the metal canisters on the counter lifted up and floated slowly about the room. Erik was fairly certain he knew where the mutant was but he didn't want to risk hitting her with his little display. He doubted that would go very far in gaining her trust. As the canisters dropped down on the opposite counter a form wavered before the two men. At first it looked like a heat mirage, but after a few moments it solidified into a young woman. She was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. Her long brown hair hung about her face like a curtain, partially obscuring frightened brown eyes. Tears rolled freely down her face, "Please make it stop," she begged them. Charles and Erik glanced at each other, an ocean of pain, regret and pity flowing between them. Charles stepped closer, careful to not frighten the girl, "I can't make it stop, but I can help you to control it so it only occurs when you wish it."

Erik watched a flicker of hope, tempered by fear enter her eyes before she nodded, "Control. That means I can stop it."

When the Connollys got back from the store they found the front door unlocked and their groceries scattered about the kitchen. They quickly called the police but found that only their daughter's things were missing from the house. The cops scratched their head about the mystery but as nothing of value was missing, the case was quickly buried under more important ones.

**Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know what you think. Also, any suggestions about what you would like to see happen next would be appreciated too.  
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